"She Stands for Peace" is a podcast by the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), hosted by Dr Yemisi Akinbobola. She Stands for Peace explores the state of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Africa, through a series of conversations with key actors. From policymakers, to donors, and grassroots peacebuilders, each episode takes a deep dive to unpack the various insights and lived experiences of guests to explore the central question; "20 years after UNSCR 1325 was passed, how far have we come?". The interviews are insightful and inspiring, as they take stock and share forward looking strategies for the implementation of UNSCR 1325, post-2020.
For enquiries, email UNOAU Communications Team: unoau-public-information@un.org
Episode Thirty-Five: Peacebuilding in informal settlements in Africa with Editar Adhiambo Ochieng
Editar Adhiambo Ochieng is Founder of the Feminist for Peace, Rights and Justice Centre. In this episode, we discuss the impact of women's civic and political participation, election violence, and peacebuilding in informal settlements.
11/24/2022 • 29 minutes, 23 seconds
Episode Thirty-Four: Women, Media and Peacebuilding with Comfort Mussa and Amal Habani
Comfort Mussa and Amal Habani are journalists from Sudan and Cameroun. In this episode, we discuss the role of journalists, and women journalists, and the impact of their working conditions on the extent to which they can contribute to achieving the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Africa.
11/24/2022 • 24 minutes, 47 seconds
Episode Thirty-Three: Supporting Peacebuilding Strategies and Women, Peace and Security with Awa Dabo
Awa Dabo is the Deputy Head of Office for the Peacebuilding Support Office, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. In this episode, we have a conversation about supporting peacebuilding strategies for the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Africa, the realities of localising global strategies, transitional justice, and creating enabling environments for women peacebuilders in Africa.
11/8/2022 • 27 minutes, 7 seconds
Episode Thirty-Two: Protecting women peacebuilders with Rita Lopidia
Rita Lopidia is Executive Director and Co-founder of Eve Organization for Women Development in Juba, South Sudan, and coordinator of the South Sudan Women’s Coalition for Peace. In this episode, we have a conversation about the experiences of women peacebuilders when executing their roles and work, and how we might rethink how women peacebuilding organisations are supported.
11/8/2022 • 28 minutes, 22 seconds
Episode Thirty-One: Mediation and Early Warning with Pravina Makan-Lakha
Pravina Makan-Lahka is an Advisor on Women, Peace and Security at the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD). In this episode, we discuss the importance of women's meaningful participation in mediation and early warning, and how we can ensure the gender perspective is integrated into conflict early warning systems.
10/14/2022 • 35 minutes, 55 seconds
Episode Thirty: Advocacy for the protection of women and girls with Fatima Maiga
Fatima Maiga is a Founding Member and President of the Coalition des Femmes Leaders Nord, Sud et Centre du Mali (NSC). In this episode, we discuss how we might rethink our interpretation of protection and Fatima shares examples of advocacy for the protection of women and girls in Mali.
10/14/2022 • 31 minutes, 38 seconds
Episode Twenty-Nine: Food Security, Climate Security and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda with Michael Dunford
Mr Michael Dunford is the Regional Director for Eastern Africa at the UN World Food Programme (WFP). In this episode, we discuss the realities of tackling food security in conflict settings, the impact of climate change, and how conflict-sensitive food systems might better respond to impacts of conflict on women.
9/24/2022 • 23 minutes, 7 seconds
Episode Twenty-Eight: Creating Enabling Environments for Peacebuilding with Ilwad Elman
Ilwad Elman is the Chief Operating Officer of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre. In this episode, we discuss the challenges and trauma of peacebuilding, her work in supporting survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, and applying a youthful lens to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
9/24/2022 • 34 minutes, 44 seconds
Episode Twenty-Two: Reconstruction and Peacebuilding an interview with Ahunna Eziakonwa
Ahunna Eziakonwa is the Regional Director and Assistant Secretary General for UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa. In this episode, we talk about the application of a gender perspective on reconstruction and peacebuilding.
12/23/2021 • 26 minutes, 28 seconds
Episode Twenty-One: Human Rights with Ilze Brands Kehris
Ilze Brands Kehris is the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights. In this episode, we discuss the range of mechanisms to respect, protect, and promote women's rights before, during and post-conflict. She offers her insights on keeping rights defenders safe in their interactions with the UN for human rights.
11/19/2021 • 33 minutes, 58 seconds
Episode Twenty: Trauma, Reconciliation and Forgiveness an Interview with Candice Mama
Candice Mama is an author and activist whose work has been centred on trauma, reconciliation, and forgiveness. In this episode, we talk about her experience meeting and forgiving the man who murdered her father during Apartheid. Candice shares her thoughts on how we might approach reconciliation differently, support survivors of trauma and the importance of accurate historical education for peacebuilding.
11/19/2021 • 29 minutes, 35 seconds
Episode Nineteen: Digital Inclusion of Women an Interview with Marwa Azelmat
Marwa Azelmat is a Technology and Women's Rights Policy Consultant. In this episode, we explore the gaps and opportunities for women's digital inclusion in Africa’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
11/19/2021 • 28 minutes, 28 seconds
Episode Eighteen: From Commitment to Action an Interview with Raheemat Omoro Momodu
Raheemat Omoro Momodu is Head of Human Security and Civil Society at ECOWAS- Economic Community of West African States. She shares her insights and best practices on how RECs, the African Union, and the Member States have translated commitments to action towards Africa's Women, Peace and Security agenda. CORRECTION: The RECs Liaison Officers' mandate was expanded to cover all areas of cooperation beyond Peace and Security, between the RECs and the African Union, was January 2009 and not January 2018.
10/18/2021 • 30 minutes, 35 seconds
Episode Seventeen: Inclusion and partnerships with Commissioner Bankole Adeoye and SRSG Hanna Tetteh
H.E. Bankole Adeoye is the African Union's Commissioner for Political Affairs and Peace and Security. SRSG Hanna Tetteh is the Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union. In this episode, we discuss the importance of partnerships based on mutual respect and commitment to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Africa. With a background in political affairs, the guests share how their work in this area has shaped their perspectives on their approaches to the WPS agenda.
10/18/2021 • 40 minutes, 54 seconds
Episode Thirteen: Inspiring and organising the next generation of peacebuilders an interview with Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili
Dr Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili is co-convener of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. In this episode, we speak with Dr Obiagelli Ezekwesili about inspiring and organising the next generation of peacebuilders. She shares insights on how we might approach governance and youth participation differently.
8/3/2021 • 20 minutes, 34 seconds
Episode Twelve: Pan-African Feminist Peacebuilding an interview with Aya Chebbi
Aya Chebbi is a pan-African feminist activist and former AU Special Envoy for Youth. In this episode, we talk about pan-Africanism and women’s participation in leadership and decision making for peace and development in Africa. Aya shares key insights on the importance of intergenerational dialogue towards the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
6/30/2021 • 38 minutes, 17 seconds
Episode Eleven: Women’s participation in peace negotiations an interview with Betty Bigombe
Betty Bigombe is the Special Envoy of Uganda to the South Sudan Peace Process. In this episode, we talk about her experiences as a negotiator, which started with her encounters with LRA leader, Joseph Kony. Ms Bigombe talks further about the participation of women in formal peace negotiations and mediation, and the mental health toll of mediation.
